


Adventures In Dad-ing

by emoprincey



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Dad!Virgil, M/M, Teacher!Roman, Trans!Roman, Virgil is a sweetheart, lil!logan, lil!patton, logan might be abused, tw abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-08-29
Packaged: 2019-10-03 08:17:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 16,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17280419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emoprincey/pseuds/emoprincey
Summary: Through games, adventures and new beginnings, Patton grows up surrounded by love and happiness, and maybe somewhere along the way, Virgil finds love too.(Or, single-dad!Virgil and his son Patton, later joined by Logan and Roman but no spoilers so I'll update this when I write them in.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, this whole fic is gonna be a mess. Tbh it'll probably be a lot of time skips.  
> At the moment we're chronological, but if I suddenly jump to when Patton's eight and then he's twenty and then all of a sudden he's two again, don't be too surprised. I'll try to keep it making sense but I guess we'll just have to wait and see.  
> Also, I'm new to Archive and all the support is amazing, I'm still working out how this all goes but thanks for all the support so far xx

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A regular day in the life os Virgil and Patton

“Papa!” A shout of laughter echoes through the small house as tiny feet race down the hall. Virgil spins around just in time to swoop a little bundle of red and black into his arms. Giggles fill his ears as he tries to hold onto the wriggling child.

“How can I help Pattycake?” He smiles down at the happy boy, placing the worn cookbook onto the kitchen counter.

“Dog! Owthide!” The blonde boy wiggles out of the man’s arms. As soon as his little feet hit the ground, he takes the man’s hand and drags him towards the living room windows. The boy clambers onto an armchair, with a little help from Virgil, and points to the front lawn with a large smile.

Leaning over to have a look, Virgil sees a ball of black and grey fluff sitting next to the mailbox. At first glance, you could mistake the ball to be a dog, with its pointy ears and fluffy tail, but the distinct markings around the eyes say otherwise.

“That’s not a dog Patton, it’s a racoon.” His eyes widen as Patton climbs onto the back of the chair, pressing his face to the glass and fogging it up with his breath. Placing his hands around his son’s waist, Virgil pulls him down, holding him on his waist. Patton giggles at the touch, facing his father with excited blue eyes.

“Waccoon?” Smiling at Patton’s lisp, Virgil nods, pointing at the innocent creature.

“It’s like a cat, but we don’t pet those ones. They have sharp claws and it could hurt you.” Patton nods, seeming to take in the words, but Virgil knows better. It was just last week he had told the boy not to chase the neighbour’s geese but had come back inside to find his son petting one on the couch like it was his own.

“Okay, Papa.” Tiny toddler hands pat his cheeks and the three-year-old leans in to press a sloppy kiss to Virgil’s nose. A yawn leaves his mouth and Virgil smirks, knowing what’s coming.

“C’mon Pattycake, time for a nap.” Patton nods and rests his head on the man’s shoulder, letting himself be carried to the little couch. Virgil lays the boy down, pulling his favourite blue blanket off the back and lays it over the three-year-old, grabbing the dinosaur teddy and placing it in his tired arms.

“I’ll wake you when dinner’s ready, sweetheart.” Virgil leans forward placing a kiss on the boy’s forehead before standing to return to the kitchen across the room.

“Love you, Papa.” A small voice reaches Virgil’s ears as he picks up the cookbook. He turns around to see the boy already asleep on the chair, soft snores leaving his lips.

“I love you too Pattycake.”

As a single father, Virgil had raised Patton to the best of his ability since he was very little. When he was sixteen, Virgil was in a bad place, and was involved in a relationship he knew was unhealthy. After a particularly bad fight, his girlfriend forced him to do something he wasn’t okay with and ended up pregnant. They found out when she was already too far pregnant to abort the baby. She was despondent and didn’t care for the child at all during those months. She drank and smoked and acted as though it was a burden to her, despite Virgil’s calls that it was innocent and beautiful. When the baby was born, the doctors didn’t know if he would survive the night. Because of the treatment he suffered in the womb, he was weak and premature. Of course, the girl didn’t care and discharged herself as soon as she could, leaving without a trace.

Virgil stayed.

At only sixteen years old, the black haired teen stayed in the hospital next to the weak baby for days. He sat in the cold hospital room next to the incubator for hours, holding the child’s hand through thick gloves in the side of the cot. He stayed as the child struggled to breathe, and cried as doctors told him to prepare for the worst. Through scares and trauma, the young teen stayed in that room until the baby grew strong enough to be held, and when he finally got the chance, he held him in his arms and cried tears of joy at the adorable life cradled to his chest.

Virgil’s parents disowned him, despite hearing the traumatic story of what happened, and with the mother gone, he was all this child had left in the world. From that day on, Patton Casey and his father faced the world with only each other.

Virgil dropped out of high school in his junior year to raise the boy and took up two jobs to afford rent and everything Patton required. It was hard, but Virgil’s bosses understood the situation and let him bring his son to work, leaving him in the back with a coworker as he worked his shift, taking his breaks to feed and change the delicate baby.

It wasn’t long before Virgil realised his son had some problems to work through. A learning and speech disorder and severe short-sightedness were hard enough, but Patton was a child that would never stop moving, but could easily crash and pass out at any time due to the expended energy. It was a struggle, both physically and financially taxing, but they made it work. 

One thing always plagued the young man, his lack of help. Patton would grow up with only his father, and Virgil knew from experience that doing so could cause not only distress but cruel treatment from his peers in school. He didn’t try to date all that much though. After having a man tell his son he was a mistake, Virgil has tried his hardest not to bring anyone home until he’s 100% sure they’re okay to be around the young boy.

Maybe someday he’ll find a man, or woman, worthy of being around the reason Virgil still lives.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The time Patton made a friend and scared Virgil halfway across the country and back.

Virgil always took good care of his son. He treated Patton like royalty, always making sure the young boy had the basic necessities he require and enough books and toys to keep even a spoilt prince happy. What he could never provide, however, was friends. 

Virgil tried his hardest to take Patton to daycare, but he was dependent and had an attachment disorder. He couldn’t be away from his father for more than an hour before he started to panic. The two went to groups for single parents every Saturday for three months before one of the kids hit Patton and the father blamed Virgil’s parenting. 

It was one Friday afternoon when Patton found a friend in the most unlikely, but classically Patton, of ways. 

Patton finished his lunch and helped his dad clean up before running off to the living room to play with some soft toys. He had three favourites, a small blue teddy bear he named Blue, an old dog named Spot, and his all-time favourite green stuffed dinosaur named Fluffy. He would often play tea party with a set of plastic cups, or have adventures around the house with his toy friends, but no matter what, Patton always lost interest once he caught a glimpse outside. The passing cars would catch his attention over the game he was playing every time. Virgil had often caught his son trying to open the back door so he could go chase the neighbour’s geese or follow a stray cat down the street. 

As the blonde boy was throwing his dinosaur in the air, a bird landed outside the sliding door. Patton quickly dropped his toy and raised to the glass, holding his face close and fogging it with his breath. As he was leaning against the door, the lock unhooked and it slides to the left, sending Patton to the ground with a thump. He quickly yells ‘I’m okay’ so his dad doesn’t worry before looking back up. 

The bird hopped closer to the door, staring at Patton with large brown eyes before flying off, the boy quick to follow it outside. His little legs only carry him so far before he loses sight of the animal. Realising he’s not at home, Patton starts to worry. The houses around him don’t look like the ones his dad takes him past when they go shopping. Tears start to brim in the four-year-olds eyes when a loud cry sends him turning to his right. 

A small park sits nestled between to large houses, containing only a swing set, jungle gym and a small slide. Sat on the bark under the jungle gym is a young boy, tears streaming down his cheeks and knee pulled up to his chest. 

Patton waddles over, sniffling lightly as he approaches the boy. 

“Are you okay?” He asks quietly, clambering onto the raised bark and sitting next to the boy. He doesn’t answer, crying loudly and wiping at his face. “I can help. I fall lots.” Patton offers slowly. The boy looks up, green eyes puffy from crying. He nods a little, a small smile making its way onto Patton’s freckled cheeks. The smaller boy helps his unnamed friend up, taking him to the water fountain to wash his knee before sitting together on the grass. 

“Does it still hurt?” The boy nods a little, sniffling but no longer balling his eyes out. Patton leans over, pressing a kiss just above the wound on his knee. “My papa says kisses are magic. He says they help all sorts of things.” The boy smiles widely, showing a small gap in his front teeth. 

“I’m Logan.” He thrusts a hand out, dark skin contrasting Patton’s light as he shakes his hand. 

Meanwhile, Virgil enters the living room with a plate of cookies in hand. He looks up to ask if Patton would like some, eyes falling instantly onto the open door. 

“Pattycake?” He yells, placing the cookies on the coffee table and wandering down to the boy’s room. “Patton?” He shouts louder, searching every room, under every table or chair, inside the cupboards. Panic rises in his stomach as he circles back to the living room. 

“Patton!” He runs through the door, barely able to pull it shut behind him as he races onto the street. His first stop is the house down the street, the garden filled with gnomes and fairies had always fascinated the boy when they walked to the store together. 

Virgil’s heart stops as he realises his son isn’t there, and he races back home to grab his phone on the knocking on the neighbour’s door. The couple next door was kind to the young family, always offering to babysit if Virgil was too busy and gifting the child his teddy bear on his third birthday. 

The couple offers to help quickly, the eldest man hopping in the car and driving around the neighbourhood as the youngest goes the opposite way to Virgil to search on foot. 

Oblivious to his panicking father and the search party on the lookout, Patton chases Logan around the park, playing tag amongst the play equipment. 

“Haha, you can’t catch me!” Logan laughs, ducking between the swings before hiding behind a tree. 

“Yeah, I can!” Patton races after him, almost tripping over his laces as he reaches the boy, tapping his shoulder and rolling onto the grass, finally out of breath. “See, told you!” Logan smiles again, sitting against the tree as Patton laughs. 

“You’re pretty cool Patton.” He sighs, watching the boy play with the wildflowers. “Why are you out here alone?” 

“Why are you here alone?” The younger retorts, sticking his tongue out. Logan looks away quickly, playing with his sleeves.

“Mummy said I had to leave. She said I can go home when it gets dark.” He mumbles, looking up at the setting sun and hoping it’ll go down faster. Yes, he liked playing with Patton, but the five-year-old wanted nothing more than to go cuddle up under his galaxy blanket and stare at the glow-in-the-dark stars his dad stuck to the roof. 

“I got lost.” Patton smiles sadly, sitting up in front of his new friend. “I chased a bird and then I heard you cry. I don’t know here Papa is.” Tears brim in his blue eyes and Logan quickly wraps his arms around the younger child, holding him tight as he starts to cry, tired from his adventure. 

“Patton!” A shout sounds, catching Logan’s attention. He looks up to see a man in flannel pyjamas wandering past the park. Looking down to see Patton asleep, he moves the boy off him, placing his jacket under his head and runs over to the sidewalk. 

“Mister?” He asks, getting the man to spin around and look down at him. Logan stammers slightly, not a fan of the sudden attention. “Are you Patton’s dad?” 

“Yes, yes! Sorry, have you seen him?” Virgil shouts, wincing at his own volume before bending down to the young boy’s height. 

“Prove it. What was he wearing?” Logan’s not dumb. He knows not to talk to strangers. If this man truly is his friend's dad, he needs to prove it. 

“His cat hoodie. Its grey and the sleeves should be wet from him chewing on them. He was also in a pair of blue shorts and I don’t think he was wearing shoes. He looks like this.” Virgil turns his phone to show the Logan a picture of the two, Patton squirming in his dad’s arms as he presses a kiss to his temple. 

“He’s over here.” Logan grabs the man’s hand and pulls him over to the sleeping boy, Virgil sighing in relief. He quickly kneels next to his son, shaking him lightly to wake him. The boy’s eyes flutter open, a small whimper escaping his lips before he looks up. Upon seeing his father, Patton launches himself into his arms, apologizing and vowing to never run off again as tears start to fall from both his and his dad’s eyes. 

“Thank you. I’m Virgil.” The man turns back to the other young boy in the park, offering a hand for him to shake. 

“Logan.” He shakes the man’s hand before Patton detaches himself, giving Logan a hug as well as he thanks him for finding his dad. 

“We should be getting home, Patton. How about we walk you home Logan, it’s quite dark.” An uncomfortable feeling washes over the young man. Why was Logan out here in the first place? He looks around Patton’s age, shouldn’t a parent be nearby?

“That would be good. Thank you Patton’s dad.” Logan takes the lead as Virgil picks up his tired son, and together they walk down the street to find a house on the corner. It looks nicer than Virgil’s home, but looks aren’t everything. 

“Mr Patton’s dad?” Virgil looks down as Logan takes some mail out of the letterbox and pushes open the gate, turning back to the family. “Would it be okay if I play with Patton one day? I know he’s in trouble for running off, but I liked playing with him.” 

“I think I could sort something out. How about you give your parents my number and we can set something up?” Virgil writes his number and address on the back of a leaflet and watches until Logan gets to his door before taking his son home. 

He lays the sleeping boy in bed, tucking him in and giving him the dinosaur teddy. 

It’s no surprise when Virgil checks every lock four times before going to bed himself. He makes sure every door is shut, and every window closed, even going as far as to check the cat door the previous owners installed. 

The house falls quiet as both members of the family fall asleep, each sufficiently tired out from the big adventure.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil discovers a little about Patton's new friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: mention of abuse, vague description of injuries.

Logan had called once a week after the incident. He often called on a Thursday at around midday, a strange coincidence that it also happened to be one of Virgil’s days off. The single father would walk his son down to the park and wait at a bench as the two played for hours, only leaving once Patton had tired himself out. They always walked the boy home, and it had only taken two meetups for Virgil to notice the hesitance he had to leave the small family. 

It wasn’t until Saturday that the phone rang again. Patton was racing around his feet pretending to be a race car when his phone rang, and it took almost a minute for the man to navigate around his son to answer it. 

“Hello, Casey residence, this is Virgil speaking?” The black haired man grimaces as he reverts to his customer service voice, wincing as Patton trips on an untied shoelace. 

“Mr Patton’s dad? It’s Logan.” Virgil’s eyes widen as he leans down to tie his son’s shoe, holding the phone between his ear and shoulder, 

“Hello Logan, How can I help you, dear?” Patton squirms away as soon as Virgil tucks the lace under the tongue of his shoes, leaving the man squatting next to the living room door. 

“Mummy said I can go out again today. Am I allowed to play with Patton?” Virgil can hear the smile on the young boy’s face, imagining him twirling the cord of the phone around his little fingers. 

“Of course you can. Can I speak to your mum?” Every time Logan called, Virgil asked to speak to a parent. Every time Virgil asked, Logan made an excuse. 

“Uh, she’s, um, she’s busy. She has work soon and I think she’s in the shower.” Virgil’s eyes narrow, hearing the lie in the boy’s voice. He pauses for a minute, listening to the background noise. From Logan’s end, he hears a quiet shout a door slam, nothing too loud so far from the boy, but loud enough to be in his house.

“Oh okay. Well, tell her we’ll be at the park in twenty minutes. Is that okay?” A much louder crash sounds down the phone line and shivers runs down the man’s spine. “Maybe ten actually, Patton will be thrilled.” 

“Okay. I’ll be there soon. Thank you Mr Patton’s dad.” The young boy hangs up before Virgil has a chance to correct him again and he’s left shocked in the doorway. 

“Papa?” Patton stops his racing to stand at his dad’s feet, pulling on his sleeve lightly. “You ‘kay?” He nods quickly, ushering Patton to grab a jacket before pulling on his own shoes. 

The pair makes their way out of the house, Virgil pulling Patton back as he makes sure the door is locked before leading the boy down to the park. Patton skips alongside him, humming lightly and reaching out to pet a cat as they pass it in a driveway. 

When they arrive, Logan is already sitting on the swings, little legs dangling from the old plastic. A smile makes its way across his dark cheeks and Patton breaks away from his father to greet his friend with a hug. The man takes a seat on a bench and watches the boy’s playing, smiling as Logan helps the younger boy on the jungle gym. 

As he watches the boy’s run around, he notices a few things that certainly weren’t there in the past. 

Logan, for all his adorable glory, had a few worrying features. He was tall and thin for his age, looking very much the same size as Patton. But it’s the way his clothes fall off his frame that worries Virgil. The clothes themselves are obviously a size or two too big and even ripped and dirty in some places. The boy’s knees are exposed through his jeans and, although not uncommon for kids, his skin is clearly scratched and bruised. Peeking out from under the oversized t-shirt is a sizable bruise on his collarbone. As Virgil finds this, Logan reaches up to hold Patton’s waist, only lifting his right arm halfway before wincing and using his left. 

It’s then that Virgil notices the slight limp, and the way keeps looking back, almost as though to make sure Virgil is still there. 

Patton tires after two hours of racing around the park, both chasing and running from his friend. The boy waddles over, climbing onto the seat next to Virgil, with a little help from Logan and curling up to his dad’s side. Logan takes a seat in front of the family, playing with the grass as he debates what to do. 

“Are you alright Logan?” The boy looks up with confusion in his dark hazel eyes. “Did you hurt your arm, I saw you wince.” Logan goes to deny it, but one look from the concerned parent and the small boy is nodding. 

“I tripped the other day and it hurts a little but it’s okay because I put ice on it like the book said.” He speaks quickly, looking away from the man. Virgil watches him for a moment, sighing before patting the spot next to him on the bench. Logan hesitates for a moment before climbing up, crossing his legs on the wood. Virgil adjusts Patton so he can look at the young boy but not wake his son. 

“Logan. I want you to be honest with me. You don’t have to say anything out loud, but can you promise me you’ll tell the truth?” Virgil speaks slow, wanting to be soft but needing answers. Logan nods slightly, playing with the hem of his jeans. 

“Did you really fall and hurt your arm?” Logan nods quickly before stalling and shaking his head. “Did someone else hurt your arm?” A hesitant nod. “Was it your mum?” 

Logan doesn’t move. His eyes fill with tears and a sob crawls up his throat. 

What happens if he admits it? Will Patton’s dad get mad? Would he hit him too? What if he tells his mum that he told? Would she hurt him again?

“Oh, buddy. Can I hug you?” Virgil asks nicely, placing a hand in Logan’s line of vision. The young child nods and Virgil pulls him to his side, letting his sob into his shoulder as Patton snoozes on the other. 

“It’s okay Logan.” He rubs circles onto the boy’s back, freeing an arm from his son to hold the boy tighter as his cries get heavier. They sit like that for close to thirty minutes. Patton lays across his father’s lap as Logan cries into him, a worried look creasing Virgil’s forehead. As Logan calms down, Virgil wipes the tears from his face, avoiding a healing bruise on his cheek. 

“Hey, why don’t you stay the night at our house?” Logan looks up with a sniff, a hopeful gleam in his eyes. “You and Patton can watch some movies and we can get pizza for dinner. How does that sound.” Logan nods quickly, almost knocking himself off the bench with his enthusiasm. 

Virgil wakes Patton and tells him the news, smiling as his son bounces around drags Logan into a little dance. 

All three make their way to Logan’s house for a brief stop so he can get some clothes, Virgil and Patton waiting at the gate and telling Logan if he needs a hand to shout out. He runs out the door in two minutes flat, smiling widely with a small battered bag over his shoulder. 

Patton takes the boy by the hand and leads the way home, Virgil directing the boys from a few steps behind. It takes a few minutes longer than usual, but the group get back in one piece, and Patton immediately drags Logan down to his bedroom. 

That was the first time Logan stayed the night, but it certainly wouldn’t be the last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lemme know if you see a typo, I'm terrible at finding these things haha.  
> Thanks for the support too, you guys are so nice xx


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh, look, a time skip, who would've guessed...
> 
> Patton is now eight because I'm uncreative and couldn't think of anything interesting but I may later, I'll let you know if I do. 
> 
> It's Patton's first day at school for the year and he's scared I guess.

“Patton! Stop running around for just a second so I can put your shoes on.” Virgil groans, trying to catch the excited child as he bounces around the living room. He’d been trying to get Patton ready for nearly an hour, but all attempts seemed futile. 

“If you sit down, I’ll get you a cookie for after school.” Guilt itches at the man as his son stalls mid-step, turning around to sit across from him. He knows he shouldn’t bribe the eight-year-old, but he can’t help it, it’s the only thing that works this early in the morning. Pulling the boy’s foot into the little shoe, Virgil watches as Patton takes the other one. 

“Bunny ears, Bunny ears, playing by a tree. Criss-crossed around the tree, trying to catch me. Bunny ears, Bunny ears, jumped into the hole, Popped out the other side beautiful and bold.” Patton sings, following the steps to tie the laces together as Virgil smiles and does the other one. 

“Good boy Pat, now go grab your things and we can head out.” The boy jumps up, racing down the hall to his little room. Sighing, Virgil stands and grabs his own bag from the kitchen table, placing his wallet, keys, and phone into it before swinging it over his shoulder. 

“Papa, can I wear my cat hoodie today?” Patton wanders into the living room, holding the grey fabric in his tiny hands. 

“Of course you can.” Virgil helps him pull it on, straightening his glasses and fixing his hair before the two males leave the house, sure to lock the door behind them. Taking the young boy’s hand, Virgil and Patton set off down the street, Patton skipping along and singing a tune under his breath. 

They reach the small school quickly, Patton’s singing stopping abruptly as he realises that he has to leave his father’s side. 

“You’ll be okay Pat, it’s only a few hours.” Virgil kneels in front of the blonde, placing his larger hands against the boy’s smaller ones like a child with a mirror. “I’ll be waiting outside for you when you finish and we can go get that cookie.” 

“What if the teacher is mean?” Virgil smiles lightly at the boy, his own concerns about the new adult flying out the metaphorical window. 

“He won’t be mean. He’ll be so nice you won’t want to leave, and you’ll stay here forever and ever and I’ll be all alone.” Virgil reaches for Patton’s waist, tickling him lightly to get a smile on his abnormally sad face. 

“I’d never leave you, Papa.” Patton laughs, wrapping his arms around the man’s shoulders and burying his head in the crook of his neck. 

“I know you wouldn’t Pattycake.” The two males sit like that for a minute, before Virgil starts to notice other children arriving for the first day and lets Patton pull away. He reaches into his bag and takes out a small envelope, holding it out to Patton. 

“Remember to give this to the teacher, okay?” Patton nods excitedly, holding the note to his chest as he waves goodbye to his dad. Running up the stairs, the boy almost trips over his laces, one of which has decided to betray him and fall apart. He turns around to wave at his father once more, before turning to enter the small school. 

The walls are a soft wood, covered floor to ceiling in children's art, tiled floors an off-white from years of use. Several doors line the hall, each with a name and class photo on the door. Patton wanders down, adjusting the puppy-shaped bag on his back and clutching the letter to his chest. He reaches a door halfway down the hall, next to the bathrooms and slowly pushes open the dark wood. 

Inside, a man stands at the board, writing up his name, Mr Phillips, and a few other random things. Bright hazel eyes shine in the harsh lighting, soft brown curls lying messily on his forehead. He wears a red button-down shirt with white accents and a pair of tight black jeans, white converse shoes tied to his feet. 

“Hello there.” He smiles down at the blue-eyed boy, ushering him further into the room. “How can I help?” He kneels down to be eye level with the boy, smiling brightly. 

“Um. I’m Patton, I’m in your class this year. My Papa said to give you this.” Nerves suddenly take over the eight-year-olds body as he holds out the letter. His teacher for the past three years, his first ever school teacher, had been very rude after reading the letter, telling him he was stupid and he’d get over it. Virgil had come in on more than one occasion to sort it out but had always been told he wasn’t a good parent and had been threatened with social services an equal number of times. 

“Do you want me to read this now?” Patton nods slowly, knowing it’d be best to get it out of the way. Mr Phillips stands, leaning against his desk as he opens the letter, Patton shuffling slightly and playing with his bag straps. 

“Oh dear.” The man sighs as he reads, looking up at the boy before finishing the note. “Well, Patton,” The boy looks up as the man places the note on the desk, leaning down again to face the boy. “I actually have something that makes it hard for me to learn too. I have dyslexia, so I can’t read properly. But with enough help from my teachers, I was just as good as all the other kids. We can work together at break times if you don’t understand something, and if you tell me first, you can go to the nurse’s office whenever you need. I’m here to help you learn, and I’ll try my best to do that.” 

“Thank you, Mr Phillips.” Patton smiles, the man nodding in response. He tells Patton to go hang up his bag as the other students start filing in, ready to begin the day. 

As Patton takes his seat in the front of the class, Virgil wanders through the deserted streets. Cars pass every so often, their occupants on their way to work just like the black haired man. It takes him a few minutes to get to the café, pushing open the door and entering the small establishment. 

**

Virgil stands in front of the school as the last bell rings, hands stuffed deep in his pockets. A teacher, one he hasn’t seen before, opens the door, propping it against the walls of the steps. Virgil’s eyes linger on the young man as children race out of the building, watching him wave at them as they pass. He only looks away when Patton runs out, bag bouncing against his back as he speeds to his father, flinging himself into his arms. 

“Hey Pattycake, how was it?” 

“It was great. Mr Phillips is super nice and he said he had a thingy like me in school and he said he can help me at break times and we played games and it was amazing!” Patton gushes, the biggest smile across his freckled cheeks as he turns to wave at the man near the door. Virgil looks up to see the man smile, and he can’t help but smile back, nodding and mouthing a silent thank you as his son tugs at his arm. 

“Can I have that cookie now?”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roman's Origins

Roman Phillips wasn’t special. 

He was raised in Brooklyn to a lovely couple, went to school every day, took part in football and drama and music. He was never bullied, never treated poorly. 

He came out as trans at 7, his parents accepting this and changing his school so he could go as Roman and not Rosa.

He came out as gay at 15, after kissing the cute junior quarterback behind the gym after practice one day. His parents didn’t mind, making sure he knew to be safe and accepting the boy with open arms when Roman brought him home for the first time. 

He had his first heartbreak later that same year when the junior had decided being with Roman wasn’t right. His mum had fed him ice cream and his dad had turned on his favourite musical and they spent the night cuddling on the couch. 

He went to prom with his best friends and graduated with good grades, all whilst holding a job at the cafe down the road and taking part in theatre and football. 

He went to college and studied hard, he got a degree in early childhood care and went back for a bachelor’s in education.

Nothing of note ever really happened to Roman Phillips. 

Well, that’s what he’ll tell you at least. 

Roman Phillips was a month old when his parents died. They were hit by a drunk driver on the way to the grocery store. He was put up for adoption and lived in an orphanage until he was 5 when a couple came by and chose him. 

They were rude and treated him as just another thing they could earn money off. He was sent back two months after they got him because he lit the toaster on fire trying to make himself something to eat. 

He was 5 and a half when the second family took him, this time they called him names, so he broke the window with a rock from their rundown backyard. 

He was 6 when a family with twelve other children adopted him. They ignored every child in that house, not giving them adequate sleeping quarters or food. Roman pushed the TV off its stand and when the cops were called because the man was screaming at him, told them about the abuse and had all 13 kids taken away. 

He was 7 when he told the lady at the orphanage he didn’t want to wear skirts anymore. She let him cut his hair and wear pants and go by male pronouns. She helped him change his name and eventually, he was adopted again. 

This time, it was a lovely married couple who couldn’t have children of their own. Larry and Dot. Roman loved them, and they loved him. He was finally where he belonged. 

When he started at high school, some children from the orphanage recognised him. They bullied him. He was pushed into lockers, locked in closets, beaten and called horrible names. He had to move schools four times before he could finally settle down and actually learn, and even then it was a struggle. 

He couldn’t read. At 15, he realised that it was more than a simple issue and he couldn’t continue to bullshit his way through classes. His grades started to drop, his parents got worried, he ran away from home several times before finally telling them. They got him a tutor but it took a while for him to get back to a point where he was confident and his grades were passing. 

That year, he got into the football team and had a crush on the quarterback. They got to talking and ended up making out behind the gym. His parents were cool with it, they told him to be safe and accepted his boyfriend when he brought him home. 

But they saw the look in the boy’s eyes. The junior wasn’t with Roman because he liked him, he was with him for a bet. Roman lit up every time he saw this kid but he never looked even half as happy. 

It was in the middle of practice that he broke up with him. He had fallen and Roman tried to help him up, just out of kindness, and he snapped. Screaming about how he was a ‘stupid fag, how could anyone love a tranny like you?” 

Roman ran away that day. He turned away from the boy, picked up his gym bag and walked off. The coach called out, the team tried to turn him back, but he kept walking. He got changed, grabbed his things from his locker and left. 

No one knows where he went. Roman vanished for two whole weeks and told no one. He didn’t answer the phone, he didn’t use his card, he just vanished. 

When he turned up again, he entered the house using the spare key at the door, ignored his mother’s shouts and locked himself in his room for the night. When he came down for breakfast, he told them he had an appointment for top surgery and plans for bottom as soon as possible. 

He went back to school and avoided everyone, barely passing but still graduating with his year.

At 20 years old he’d fully transitioned. Officially recognised as the man he was, Roman Phillips decided to try something he would’ve never done had it been for his lack of support. 

He became a teacher. 

It took years, 7 years in fact, but he got his degree and became a teacher at his local primary school. He didn’t love the job, the other teachers were rude and he hated the type of children he had to teach. All the parents were rich and snobby, treating him like a lesser being just because he earned less than them. So when a job offer in Florida came up, he jumped in his car and left without looking back. 

Now, at 28 years young, Roman Carter Phillips has a job he loves, a cute little house and maybe even a chance at happiness.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ever-dreaded parent-teacher interviews...

Parent-Teacher Interviews.

Virgil dreaded them.

Yes, Patton got several meetings each year to make sure he’s coping well in school but that didn’t mean Virgil hated them any less. With his last teacher, both father and son had copped a beating, Virgil being told he was an unfit parent and Patton being told to grow up.

But, if what Patton had said about this new teacher was true, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. From what he’d heard, Mr Phillips was a kind man. He spoke softly and never raised his voice. Virgil had seen him a few times and wouldn’t deny he was attractive from afar.

Virgil had met Patton at the front door of the school and taken him to get pizza while they waited for the interview. They would be the last family, so there was no point in hanging around for hours when they could be eating. The child spent the whole meal gushing about his half-day and telling stories about his friends.

When it finally came close to their time, the pair made their way back to school, Patton leading the way to the classroom and both taking a seat outside the door. It was late, and Patton was starting to crash, so Virgil let him curl up on his lap as he waited.

The door swung open and an older couple left, both women shaking a hand behind the door before thanking the person and wandering off in the opposite direction to where Virgil sat. A sigh sounds behind the barrier before a man steps out, turning to face the family.

Virgil’s heart stops.

The first thing he notices is the man’s hazel eyes, shining softly in the dull lighting with dark lashes and a perfect cat eye. Long brown curls lay messily on his forehead, falling gently over his eyes but not hiding his beauty. He wears a white shirt tucked into a pair of black jeans, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and clinging to the muscles beneath.

“Last but not least, Mr Casey, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” His voice is smooth and deep, a slight shiver running down Virgil’s spine as he smiles widely.

Roman is in much the same state as his eyes run over the young man seated in the uncomfortable plastic chairs. Long black hair escapes his bun and falls over his cool blue eyes, a thick line of eyeliner making them pop against his pale skin. Dressed in a pair of ripped purple jeans and a long sleeve black shirt, Roman can tell he’s thin, and if the way his jeans cover his long legs is any indication, he’s fit as well.

“You too,” he answers, standing slowly and picking up Patton and his things, adjusting the child on his hip. Virgil almost stalls as the man towers over him, his heart leaping. He always did have a thing for taller guys.

“There’s a couch to the left if you’d like to put him down.” Virgil nods gratefully as the teacher shows him inside, letting him set the boy down and place his jacket over him like a blanket before motioning to the seat in front of his desk.

“So, straight to business, I can tell you loathe these just as much as I. Patton is doing amazing. Just this term he’s gone from being level 3 in maths to level 4 and even made it to level 5 in reading. It’s amazing, you should be very proud of your son.

“He is very excitable and we haven’t had too many incidents. There was one after lunch one day when a boy took his crayon without asking and there were a few tears, but otherwise, he’s been perfectly well-behaved.”

“Thank you.” Virgil smiles back, looking back to his sleeping son with pride.

“I do have to ask something. As you know, he spends lunch in my class each day for extra lessons. Sometimes he gets off topic with random conversations and we end up taking a break as he tells a story of some form. He mentioned that it’s just you at home.” Roman is careful, trying to be smooth but failing as his curiosity gets the best of him. It’s not every day a young man like Virgil raises a child on his own.

“Yeah. His mother wasn’t pleased to have a kid and ditched as soon as she could. It’s been us two for Patton’s whole life.” He speaks lowly. This conversation had come up once before, with a man Virgil had been dating, the same one that told Patton he was a mistake.

“I’m sorry to hear that. Are you doing okay? There are support systems I can recommend you too should you have trouble with finances or anything.” Virgil clenches his teeth, leaning back and crossing his arms.

“Thank you, but we’re doing just fine. Patton is my son and I support him just fine on my own. We don’t need pity money just because I’m a young single father.” Roman reels, quickly stammering apologies.

“No of course. I’m not trying to undermine you, I just wanted to make sure everything was okay. Patton is a wonderful child and I want him and you to be happy.” The younger man softens, feeling the sentiment in his words. He’s seen the effort he’s putting into his son.

“Thanks. Sorry I snapped, people just judge too quick when you’re young and raising a kid. I just sort of expect it now.” _Why am I opening up like this??_ Virgil thinks, but something about the aura Roman gives off makes him feel safe.

“I couldn’t begin to imagine what that’s like. You’re doing an amazing job though, Mr Casey.” Roman leans forward, eyes soft as he tries to gauge Virgil’s feelings. He’s a closed-off person, but maybe, with the right kind of attention, he could open up.

“Virgil, please.” He reaches a hand out, an olive branch. His name isn’t something he gives out on a whim, he was teased for it for years.

“Call me Roman then.” The two men smile softly, both caught in the moment before Patton stirs from the couch. “Uh, sorry for keeping you so long.” Roman blushes, standing and helping Virgil to pick up both his and Patton’s bags as he picks up his son.

“It’s no problem. Thank you for helping Patton so much, he and I really appreciate it.” Roman leads the family to the front door of the school, holding open the doors and smiling as Patton mutters in his sleep.

“Of course. It’s why I started teaching in the first place.” Virgil smiles, stepping out into the cool air, adjusting his jacket so it covers more of the young boy in his arms. “You two get home safe now.”

“Goodnight, Roman.”

“Goodnight, Virgil,” Patton grumbles lightly, one hand pressing a fist to his eye. “And you too Patton.” Neither man can help but laugh as they turn away, Roman stopping to watch them go for a moment longer before letting the door close.

With an ass like that, Roman would be mad not to feel something towards the young father.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil's running late but Mr Fantastic-Roman is here to save the day

_Some weeks later_

Roman’s bag bounces against his thigh as he pulls the door shut, locking it behind him and stuffing the key into his back pocket. The brunette turns around with a smile before his eyes land on a small figure sitting on the steps.

“Patton?” The blonde boy, desperately clinging to his cat hoodie, spins around to see the teacher above him, a sad smile over his freckled face.

“Hi, Mr Phillips.” He waves, turning back to watch the empty footpath.

“What are you still doing here? School finished hours ago.” Roman checks his watch, noting that it is, indeed, 5 pm, and school finished at 3. He takes a few steps down and sits next to the boy, shrugging off his jacket and draping it over his shoulders to ward off the cold wind.

“Papa’s running late. He shouldn’t be too far away.” Patton smiles, snuggling into the jacket with a small yawn.

“Do you know your dad’s number? Perhaps I could give him a call to see how long he’ll be.” Patton nods and lets Roman take out the phone, shivering more as a cool wind brushes his shoulder. He recites the numbers for the man before yawning again, leaning his head against the concrete wall next to him.

The phone rings, and rings, and Roman slowly loses hope that the other man will pick up until the line goes dead. The phone goes to voicemail and Roman sighs, quickly sending a text to say who the unknown number is before placing the phone back in his bag.

“How about we go inside and I can make you some hot chocolate while we wait?” Patton nods slowly, standing up with Roman’s help and following him inside, heading towards the staff room.

Roman helps a tired Patton onto a chair at the round table before making a hot chocolate and coffee for the two. He places the warm white mug in front of the boy, taking a seat across from him and trying the number again.

“Is your dad often late?” Roman asks as the number goes to voicemail again.

“No, he’s always on time, early even.” Patton yawns again, obviously crashing hard from the school day. “I don’t know where he would be.” Tears start to form in his eyes as his clinginess kicks in, something that Virgil would be able to fix with just being around.

“Hey, it’s okay, he probably just caught up with something, he’ll be here soon.” Roman jumps up, wrapping his arms around the boy and pulling him into his chest. Patton’s arms wrap around the man’s shoulders and soon he’s both crying and asleep against his chest. Picking him up, Roman lays the boy on the couch, pulling his jacket over his still shivering boy and leaning back against the counter. His phone starts to ring and he quickly picks it up before it wakes the poor boy.

“Hello?” He quickly checks the number as a terrified voice echoes through the line.

“I am so sorry, please, is Patton with you? I got caught up with a thing, and I couldn't leave and I didn't realise the time. Oh gosh, is he okay? Is he safe? Is he with you?” Virgil’s panicked voice screeches, the sound of hurried footsteps and cars overlapping his tired tone.

“Virgil, right? It’s okay, he’s with me at the school. He fell asleep on the couch, but otherwise, he’s fine.” A loud sigh escapes Virgil’s lips as he all but runs down the street towards the school. “Are you okay? You sound like you’re struggling to breathe.”

“I’m okay, I was just worried about Pat. I’ll be there shortly, ten minutes at the latest.” Virgil says a quick goodbye and continues running down the street, nearly getting hit by several cars in the process. True to his word, the tall man arrives at the school with 3 minutes to spare.

Roman meets him at the door and unlocks it, motioning that Patton is still asleep so they should be quiet.

“Thank you so much for looking after him, I didn’t mean to be so late. I’m not usually like this.” Virgil whispers as Roman leads him down the hall.

“As I said, it’s okay. We all have things we gotta deal with.” Roman trails off, pushing the door open slowly and letting the shorter man enter first. Virgil crouches down next to Patton as Roman packs up his things.

“Hey Pat, it’s just me.” Virgil places a hand on the boy’s shoulder, not waking him for fear of tears. After a small groan of acknowledgement, Virgil picks up the sleeping child, resting him on his hip as he pulls the dog shaped bag over his shoulder. Handing Roman’s jacket back to him, he gives him a silent thank you before letting the man lead him out of the school.

“I noticed you never drive here, do you live far? I could give you a ride?” Roman offers as they make their way towards the car park.

“No, I couldn’t ask you to do that. We’re only a few minutes down the road and Pat’s not heavy anyways. Thank you, though, Roman.” A tug pulls at the younger man’s chest, the lie hurting despite only having known the man for a few weeks. Their tiny house is fifteen minutes away when they rush, but it’s in a state of disarray and Virgil would hate for the teacher to treat them differently because they’re poor.

“Are you absolutely sure? It looks like it may start raining.” Roman looks up at the clouds just as the droplets start to fall, one falling directly in his eye. “Speak of the devil.” Not taking no for an answer, he directs the family to his car, helping Virgil to strap the young boy into the back.

Virgil climbs into the passenger seat wordless, watching as the teacher starts the vehicle before telling him their address. A flash of recognition washes over the older man, and Virgil stills as he waits for the inevitable teasing. Roman just nods and directs the car towards the more rundown part of town, pulling into the drive of the old house silently.

The men exit the car and take Patton from the back, Roman walking them up to the door and hiding from the rain under the small overhanging roof, handing Virgil the boy’s bag.

“Thank you again, for today, and for being so kind to Pat. I don’t know how I can repay you.” Virgil smiles lightly, his cool blue eyes meeting Roman’s warm hazel ones. Roman opens his mouth to speak but the words die on his tongue. He shuffles his feet, Virgil leaning against the wall as he rummages through his bag for his keys.

“You could go out with me? On a date?” Roman mutters, barely loud enough for himself to hear, but Virgil’s trained ears pick it up no problem.

“I- uh- what?” he stammers, hand stilling in his bag.

“Would you like to go out with me?” Roman tries again, his left hand coming up to rub the back of his neck. Virgil stares for a second, a million thoughts running through his head before Patton shifts in his arms, snapping him out of his stupor.

“Um, yeah, I’d like that.” Both men smile brightly, Roman’s eyes sparkling in the dim lighting.

“Cool, um, I’ll text you, okay?” Virgil agrees and finally grabs his keys shoving them in the door and pushing it open slowly. Roman backs down the stairs slowly, still smiling. His foot stumbles on the last step but he catches himself before he can fall, the rain starting to soak into his jacket.

“I’m okay. I’ll see you later then Virgil.” Said man just waves lightly, stepping inside the door and closing it slowly, adjusting his son in his arms. A sigh escapes his lips as he leans against the old wood. Could this be the chance he’s been waiting for?


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> IM SO SORRY THIS IS TERRIBLE ABUT I'VE BEEN STUCK FOR FOREVER AND THIS IS AS GOOD AS IT GETS TBH
> 
> I have never been on a good date so just pretend this is is incredible and compliment me as though it was. 
> 
> Welcome to Roman and Virgil's first date.

It didn’t take long for Roman to set up the date. 

Not even a week later and he sent Virgil a text asking if he was free on Saturday night. He quickly agreed and the teacher set to planning. It was a simple plan, really, but something about the way the younger man held himself told him he didn’t like big displays. 

So, when the day finally came around, he told the man to dress casual and offered to pick him up from his home. He only lived a short drive away and after hours of watching the clock tick slowly by, he was knocking on Virgil’s door, exactly on time. 

As the door opens, Roman can’t help but stare. Virgil stands dressed in a pair of cuffed black jeans with an open purple flannel, a black shirt clinging to his toned chest and forearms on display beneath rolled sleeves. His makeup is lighter than when Roman last saw him, but a light dusting of concealer still hides the bags beneath his eyes. 

“Well, my dark prince, you look simply dashing.” Virgil smiles, about to speak when a small body pushes his way past his legs. 

“Mr Phillips? What are you doing here?” Patton smiles up at him, eyes wide with curiosity. Roman looks back to Virgil, looking for a sign for what to say.

“Mr Phillips is here to hang out with me like you do with Logan.” He explains, hoping he doesn’t question it too much. Now is not the time for Virgil to explain dating to his son. 

“Are you guys gonna play tag?” 

“Maybe with our tongues,” Virgil mutters, quiet enough for Patton to ignore but loud enough that it sends a blush to Roman’s cheeks as he sputters for a response. Virgil just laughs, directing his son back inside. 

“We have to head out, will you be okay with Tobias?” Patton nods excitedly, motioning to the piles of art and crafts he’d dropped behind his dad. 

“I guess this is farewell for now young Patton, I hope you have a Pat-tastic night.” Roman smiles at the boy, offering a hand for a high five.

“Do not start, he will pick it up.” Patton looks up at his dad slowly, his smile growing wider and more sinister by the second. “What have you done? You monster.” Roman laughs loudly as Patton smacks his hand before pushing back indoors, screaming for his babysitter to help him think of jokes. 

“Come along my dear Virgil, Patton has some puns to think up.” Roman sings, stepping down the stairs as Virgil pulls the door shut. The pair makes their way to Roman’s car, Roman holding the door open for the shorter of the two. 

“You are a nightmare, why did I agree to this?” 

“Because you like me, don’t think I didn’t see those elevator eyes.” Virgil blushes, choosing to look out the window as Roman sets off down the street. 

“Where are we going anyways, you’re quite dressed down compared to normal.” Virgil turns back, watching as the streetlights illuminate Roman’s sharp features, fading off and leaving him in the dark again. He wears the same type of jeans he does at work, but this time wears a white shirt and a red varsity jersey. 

“I figured we’d just go somewhere and chill, just talk and whatever. I didn’t really peg you as the type to like big endeavours.” 

“And you would be correct.” Roman smiles at the man, pulling into a park along the main street, both getting out and standing on the sidewalk. Virgil looks up at the store they’re in front of, eyes lighting up in both amusement and the bright lights of the glowing sign. 

“Ice cream okay?” Virgil can't even speak, just nodding and following Roman in. It’s been years since Virgil’s been to an ice cream joint since he’s been anywhere of note really. The cool air washes over him, the smell of fresh baked cookies and various toppings bombarding his senses. 

They order quickly, Roman offering to pay and pretending he doesn’t feel with Virgil slips a note into his back pocket. As they find a booth in the back to share, Roman stealthily slips the note into Virgil’s bag, trying not to smile when it goes successfully. 

“So, Mr Phillips, why teaching? Why not acting or something?” Virgil leans on the table, spooning ice cream into his mouth at an alarming rate. 

“I did take drama in school, but I preferred to be behind the stage than on it. Then, as I grew, I realised how big of a divide there was between teachers and their students and wanted to change that.” Roman pauses, eating a spoonful of icy goodness. “I love the kids too. Seeing them learn and play, it’s amazing. I love when they get excited over a snowflake or learn to say a long word, it’s an incredible feeling knowing that you helped.”

“That’s adorable,” Virgil speaks without thinking, quickly stuffing more food into his mouth as Roman laughs. A sudden pain hits his head and he winces, Roman’s laughter picking up as the younger tries to alleviate the brain freeze. 

“You good?” Roman asks after he calms down, his smile growing as Virgil glares. “Oh please, you’re as dangerous as a kitten.” 

“You don’t know that.” The pair stays in the ice cream joint for an hour, getting another serving before setting off for a walk through the park nearby. 

The sky lights up a dark purple as the final wisps of sunlight fade into the night, stars peeking their way out behind the clouds. Trees rustle with the breeze, birds chirping into the night. A small family ducks waddle across the path, three ducklings trail after their mama. 

In the courtyard, a small theatre troupe performs, and Virgil’s eyes are drawn to a young woman in a pink fluoro shirt and bright green leg warmers. She dances enthusiastically, a wide smile across her face. 

As the two wander through the trees, a silence falls between them. It’s not awkward per se, just strange, given how much they’ve discussed. From flowers to political view, they’d discussed it all over ice cream, but now, nothing. Roman debates what to say, should he ask the man’s favourite colour? Should he make a comment about the peaceful night? Screw it. 

“This has been fun Virge, just getting to know you. Let's go fuck on a bench.” Without a beat, Virgil replies “That's not very ROMANtic of you.” 

Roman twists his head slowly, a mix of disappointment, confusion and amusement befalling him. Virgil can’t help but laugh, cackling loudly and having to stop walking to catch his breath. 

“You are something else, Dark and Delightful.” Roman shakes his head, the sound of Virgil’s deep cackle reverberating through his soul.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashback to when and why Virgil was late that time that lead to Roman asking him out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all ready to be crushed??  
> Sorry this took so long, I've been in a weird place lately but I'm sick of this sitting in my WIP's and I wanna write more again.  
> If you have any ideas for later chapters or scenes you wanna see, hit me up.

It’s funny, really, how quickly your life can fall apart. 

You build a foundation, create fields of flowers and design the perfect castle all for it to come crumbling down in two minutes flat. 

Virgil Casey had a perfect life. He had a brilliant son, a good job, his mental health was mostly in check. Everything was going well. 

Until that day. 

Remember when Virgil was running late and Patton got left at school, resulting in Roman asking the cute dad out? This is why.

It was a Monday, one of the cafe’s busiest days, but the boss knew that Virgil had to be out of there by 2:30 in order to pick his son up from school. Usually, there was no problem with that, but that fateful day, someone walked in at 1 pm, just as Virgil’s mind was ticking off for the day. 

Virgil’s anxiety had been acting up all day, he would flinch at louder than usual customers and knocked several of the businesses plastic mugs off the counter. So when the bell rang, his head snapped up quicker than Patton’s when cookies were mentioned. 

A woman sauntered in, blonde hair falling over her shoulders in perfect ringlets, lips painted in red and stiletto heels tall enough to kill a man. Her sharp blue eyes glared over dark sunglasses, locking on the shocked man behind the counter. 

“Virgil, what a surprise.” She drawls, perfectly white teeth glinting in the soft lighting of the cafe. 

“Meghann.” He breathes, hands starting to shake. She struts over, leaning on the counter. Her low cut shirt exposes flesh that really should only be seen at midnight in the type of club Virgil would never step foot in. 

“Oh Darling, it’s been so long.” She winks, “Tell me, how’s the little one doing? I never did get to say goodbye.” 

“You were the one that left. Don’t even try that shit.” Feigning confidence, Virgil pushes away from the counter, stepping out from the staff area to stand face to chest with the woman. “I’m gonna have to ask you to leave, we don’t serve ladies of teh night.”

“I just wanted to say hi, no need to be so rude.” She sneers, crowing her arms as the short man looks up at her. “Oh, and give you these.” She thrusts a hand out, a collection of papers hitting Virgil straight in the chest, winding him briefly. As he gets his breath back, Mayghann turns on her heel and sashays her way out of the building. 

Confused, Virgil places the papers on the counter to straighten them before scanning his eyes over the first page. 

Applicant: Meghann Frost  
Respondent: Virgil Casey

Contents:  
Application for change of custody regarding Patton Casey

Virgil’s heart stops. 

His lungs freeze mid-breath. 

If you had told him a week ago that his abusive ex would find him at his workplace to serve him a summons to court for custody of his son, he would’ve laughed and called you crazy. 

But as he stares at the inked papers, tears brim in his eyes. 

Virgil Casey, the strong-willed, determined, caring single father, shuts down. His mind runs a million miles an hour as he tries to process it all, his body failing to respond for a solid five minutes before someone intervenes.

A grounding hand rests on his shoulder. 

His apron is removed and placed on its hook.

He’s pushed into a booth, the papers are placed in front of him on the table. 

A warm mug is pressed into his hands. 

It’s not until the coffee has gone half cold before Virgil snaps out of it. His head spinning and heart beating faster than ever before. His eyes scan over the mug, ignoring the papers glaring at him in favour of looking at the person that helped him over to the seat in the first place.

Remy, Virgil’s boss who barely ever actually works, sits in front of him, sunglasses pushed up so his dual coloured eyes are on full show. His white shirt is half unbuttoned and pushed up to his elbows, showing off his toned chest as he leans forward on the table. 

“Remy,” Virgil breaths slowly, still adjusting to coming back to reality. 

“Hey Virgil, you doin’ okay hun?” His usual smirk transforms into a soft smile. His hand waves to the young barista at the counter who smiles back, nodding in understanding.

“What am I gonna do?” Remy pushes a small plate across the table, the chocolate brownie barely making it halfway before Virgil starts picking at it. “I can’t afford a lawyer, I can barely afford our house. And I can’t put Patton through court, he doesn’t deserve that.” The barista brings over a new mug of steaming black coffee, taking the cold one just as Virgil shoves a large piece of food into his mouth.

“Virge, sweetie, you needa calm down. You’ll make yourself sick, worrying like that.” Remy moves the plate away, replacing it with the new mug. 

“What am I supposed to do Rem?” 

Remy and Virgil had been friends for years. When Virgil first moved into the area and was looking for a job, he came in with baby Patton in a pram and a hopeful look in his eyes. Remy had actually been working that day and was immediately in love with the chubby baby smiling up at him. He had darted around the counter, asking to pick up the child before giving him a hug and letting the boy chew on his sunglasses as he talked to the young man. 

It was that same day that he offered Virgil a job. He put a crib in the staff room and cleared out the biggest locker so the man could store nappies and things, even going as far as to baby proof the whole cafe should the child get loose at some point. 

They had quickly become friends, with matching sarcasm and a love for coffee, they were a match made in heaven. Had it not been for Remy’s already being engaged, he would’ve jumped the man, but neither was interested in being more than friends and Remy was very committed to his partner. 

“Listen, I know a lawyer who often works in family court. He runs cheap, most often his cases are with those that can’t really afford to be there, so money won’t be too much of an issue to him. If need be, I can help,” Virgil opens his mouth but Remy twists his wrist, hushing the man quickly. “Do not, not only are you my employee, but you are also my friend, I am here to help you. Should it come to that point, I will help pay for any legal fees.”

“Remy…” The man doesn’t take no for an answer, sliding Virgil’s satchel across the table, having grabbed it while the man was zoned out, wrapping the leftover brownie in a napkin and tucking it into the pocket.

“Now, you have more than enough time to walk your perfect arse down to his office and get this sorted. I’ll give him a call and tell you’re coming.” Remy stands quickly, Virgil still sitting in surprise as he starts to tap his foot. 

“Come on, Babes, I’m not paying you to sit on that cute little butt.” Virgil jumps up, swinging his bag over his shoulder and picking the papers up, making to leave. He stalls briefly, spinning on his heel to wrap his arms around the older man. 

“Thank you so much, Remy, for everything.” He mumbles, running out the door before the man can even process that his little emo had shown him affection. 

“Stupid emo making me feel things. Only Emi can do that.” The man mumbles, a smile creeping its way across his cheeks without permission.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil is a little stressed but Roman comes round and happiness ensues. 
> 
> WARNING: r*pe mention. It is written like that but is said and mentioned/hinted at twice.
> 
> (Thank you Mo, again, for being the best editor)

“Virgil, I’m going to be honest with you, she has a solid case. Meghann is claiming she was under duress when she left the hospital, and she has records from therapy to prove it.” 

“This is going to be a long battle, and it may not end the way you want it too.”

“We can try our best, but it’s looking grim.” 

Virgil is running low on hope. He’s been to four meetings with Remy’s lawyer friend, Nathan, and has yet to hear good news. How a woman that conceived a child under r*pe, neglected said unborn child in the womb and left without a trace when the kid was finally born could have any rights for custody was beyond unreasonable. 

Unfortunately though, she never signed over her rights as Patton’s biological mother, and with falsified documents from therapists that don’t exist, her case is looking great. 

Virgil had no one to back him up. His parents haven’t spoken to him for years, he had no friends from his past, no one in his life even knows who Meghann is. To put it simply, he was screwed. 

He was sitting up at the table one afternoon, head in his hands and tears streaming down his cheeks when Roman calls. He couldn’t bring himself to answer, chest heaving with silent sobs, instead watching the screen fade to black before a message popped up. 

“Hey Virge, I know you’ve got tomorrow off, wanna do something? There’s a couple of Disney movies on at that old cinema, we could even take Patton if you’d like.” 

Amongst all the stress of the impending case, Virgil had completely forgotten about his not-quite boyfriend. They had been on a few dates, Virgil took him to the theatre, Roman took him to an observatory, they had both gone to the park with Patton to meet up with Logan several times after school. But the week and a half since getting the papers, Virgil had said all of maybe four words to the teacher. 

Noting that it’s during the last break of school, he replies quickly, asking the man to come round when he was finished. The affirmation text is quick, and it takes Virgil the whole hour and a half to clean himself up before picking Patton up from the school and getting the house tidy. 

A knock sounds at the door at exactly 5:30 pm and the small patter of feet sends Virgil’s arm flying out to catch his son. 

“No running in the kitchen.” He turns the boy around and straightens up to turn off the stove before following the boy to the front door. 

“Mr Phillips!” Patton shouts, barreling into the man's legs as the door is pulled open, nearly sending both of them onto the cold steps. Roman catches his balance and picks the eight-year-old up with ease, swinging him around in a hug. 

“My darling Patton, I haven’t seen you in years.” Patton giggles as he’s pulled in for a hug, wrapping his arms around the man’s neck. 

“We had school a few hours ago silly!” Roman tuts, proclaiming how it’s far too long before turning to the shorter man leaning in the doorway. 

“Good evening Virgil, you look dashing as always.” His hazel eyes shimmer as he looks the man up and down, smirking at the Harry Potter patterned pyjama pants. Virgil just rolls his eyes, welcoming the man inside before closing the door. 

“Patton, go wash your hands.” The boy nods quickly as Roman sets him back down, almost immediately running off down the hall. Virgil goes to speak when a loud bang sounds down the hall. 

“I’m okay.” Virgil chuckles before leading Roman to the small kitchen table. 

“I’m sorry about the short notice, and for ghosting you the past few days. There’s been a lot going on.” Virgil takes a set of plates from the kitchen cupboard, laying them on the bench and starting to dish out the meal. 

“It’s no problem, I understand. I’ll still be here when you’re ready to talk.” Roman smiles, pulling off his hoodie to reveal a t-shirt with Chewbacca on the front. Virgil raises an eyebrow before snickering and turning back to his job. He quickly finishes and turns in time to stop Patton running behind him, turning him so he goes around the counter instead of in front of the stove. 

“Mr Phillips, you can sit here.” Patton pushes the man towards the seat nearest the door, placed between where Virgil and he usually sit. The young boy grabs a set of cutlery from the drawer and places them on the table, climbing up as Virgil places the plates on the table. Roman smiles and sits down, draping his hoodie over the back of the chair. 

“Thank you, Virgil, this looks amazing.” Using the cookbook he’s had for almost twice as many years as Patton’s been alive, Virgil had made spaghetti and meatballs. To him, that seemed pretty mundane, but the compliment still brought a light blush to his cheeks.

The three eat in what would be silence if not for Patton’s excited storytelling of both things he had done at school and home. The adults can’t stop laughing between stories, playfully teasing each other as Patton exposes their embarrassing mistakes. 

“And one time, Miss Heckle from the older kids class came in and Mr Phillips spilt water on her and everyone laughed.” Patton smiles widely, tongue resting between his teeth as he watches his dad snicker behind his hand. 

“Okay, enough stories. I think you’ve embarrassed both of us enough, you little munchkin.” Roman smiles, thoroughly blushing. 

“I have to agree. Go clean up and get in your PJs and then we can watch a movie.” Patton nods and climbs down, knocking his fork onto the floor and splattering sauce across his chair. He pulls an innocent face and runs off before Virgil can tell him to clean it up. 

Virgil picks up the plates as Roman takes the dishcloth from the sink to clean the boy’s mess despite the younger man telling him not too. They tidy up quickly, washing the dishes and leaving them in the rack to dry before wandering into the small living room. 

The two adults take a seat on the small two-seater couch, Virgil turning on the tv before sitting next to the teacher. Patton comes waddling in, dragging his blankie behind him before climbing onto the couch, squishing himself between the two men. Roman laughs lightly as the tired boy curls into his father’s side, thumb securely in his mouth. There was definitely enough space on Virgil’s other side, but the older man attributes it to the boy’s protectiveness of his Dad. Patton asks to watch a Disney movie, and Roman is quick to suggest Cinderella, getting an excited agreement from the boy. 

Not even half-way through the film, Patton falls asleep, curled against Roman with one hand grasping his dad’s shirt and the other still in his mouth. Roman’s arm rests on the boy’s back, rubbing small circles as he sings along quietly. Virgil can’t help but snap a quick picture as he stands to move his son to his bed. 

“I can carry him.” Roman offers, noting Virgil’s own tired look. He smiles lightly before leading the man to Patton’s bedroom and helping him tuck the boy in, flicking on the night light before pulling the door mostly closed. 

“Thank you for tonight Roman.” Virgil leads the man back to the living room, both taking their seats on the couch to finish the film. 

“As I said, it’s no problem. I quite like seeing you, and seeing you with the adorable bean is even better.” Virgil smiles before turning back to the tv, scooting ever so slightly closer to the teacher. Roman notices, moving his arm to rest along Virgil’s shoulders. 

The film finishes and Roman looks down at his chest to see Virgil frowning. 

“What’s wrong, ShadowHeart?” He asks, brushing the hair out of Virgil’s eyes as the younger man turns to face him. 

“Can I rant to you about my first world problems?” 

“Always.” Virgil nods, sitting up and clasping Roman’s hand from his shoulder, holding it between both of his on his lap. 

“Basically, Patton’s mother came back,” Roman’s eyes widen, an almost happy look gleaming in the green pools. “Not a good thing, don’t smile yet.” He nods quickly, straightening his face and turning a little bit more towards the troubled man. 

“Backstory time, buckle up Princey. She was possibly the worst partner I could’ve ever had. I was young and naive and I just wanted someone to call my own, no matter the stress or trauma it would cause.” Virgil explains the conditions in which Patton was made, leaving out the part where he was forced into it. 

“She found me at work that day I was late and gave me a handful of papers. She’s taking me to court for custody of Patton.” 

“There is no way in hell that woman would ever win a case for custody after that.” 

“I have no proof, it’s my word against hers. She has all these reports from therapists saying she was going through a tough time, painting me as the abuser, I have nothing. I have no one to back me up bar myself.” 

“You have me.” Virgil looks up, tears in his cold eyes as Roman’s face hardens. “If you will let me, I will stand by you through all of this. I will back you up, I’ll find a way to get Patton’s records and prove he was treated poorly in utero. And I will stand by your side through it all, as Patton’s teacher and, if you’ll have me, your boyfriend too.” 

“Roman, I couldn’t-”

“You’re not dragging me into anything Virgil. I want to help you. You and Patton have an amazing life here, I don’t want her to ruin that. She has no backing for being a good parent, she’s coming back when he’s 8 years old, long after he would’ve needed her most. You have raised Patton to be such a kind, smart young boy and it’s time you don’t have to brave it alone. Let me help you, even just as a friend if you’d prefer.” Roman rambles, grasping Virgil’s hands tightly. 

“I don’t know.” It’s been years since he’s called another person his partner. After Meghann and that man that told Patton lies he wasn’t sure if he knew how to trust another person like that. 

“You can say no Virgil, I’m not going to force you into this just because I have feelings for you,” He pauses, taking a breath as he watches Virgil’s fingers run over his knuckles. “I can tell you this isn’t how I wanted this to go. I had planned to take you to dinner and make a dramatic speech over a glass of wine and you’d fall head over heels for me in an instant, but I guess I can compromise for a night of spaghetti, Cinderella and backstories.” Virgil snickers, a smile reaching all the way to his cool eyes. 

“I want to say yes. I want nothing more than to call you mine but…” He fades off, looking across the room at a picture frame of himself and Patton, “I want him to be safe.” 

“We can ask him,” Virgil looks back in surprise. “We can ask Patton tomorrow or another day, whenever you’re comfortable, how he would feel. His opinion matters too, especially if he thinks it’s a bad idea. If he’s okay with it, you can answer then.” The smile returns to his face and Virgil can’t help but lean over, pressing his lisp to Roman’s cheek. 

“Thank you.” Virgil stands to put on another movie, but neither pays attention, both too caught up in the man curled up against their side. Not halfway through, Virgil is fast asleep, curled up against Roman’s chest, the latter having laid down to best situate the two of them. Legs intertwined and hands rested softly on chests and mid backs, both sleep soundly through the night, leaving the world’s problems for later.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day after, Virgil wakes up to Pat and has to talk about what Roman asked xx
> 
> It's short, I know, I'll try and make the next one longer to make up for it.
> 
> (Thanks again Mo for editing, I love you xx)

The next day, Virgil wakes to Patton lightly poking his arm. Normally this would cause no alarm, but when there's a pair of arms wrapped around your waist and your 8-year-old son blinking at you with confusion, it is natural that you would flip your shit a little bit. 

With a loud gasp, Virgil throws the arms from around his waist, falling onto the floor almost immediately and hitting his head against the coffee table with an audible crack. 

“Dad!” Patton yells, dropping to his knees to hold his father’s shoulders. “Oh gosh, are you okay?” 

“Ow. I’m fine,” Virgil groans, grasping his throbbing skull with one hand as he pushes himself up. His eyes fall on Roman, who is still asleep on the couch despite the loud scream. “Oh, right.” Wincing from both the new headache and his aching muscles, Virgil stands, Patton's hands coaching him up to his feet. He pulls a blanket from the back of the couch, draping it over Roman carefully. 

“Sorry Papa, I didn’t mean to scare you,” A sheepish look passes over the boy’s face, following his dad into the kitchen where he grabs an ice pack from the freezer.

“No, Pat, you didn’t scare me, it’s, uh, nevermind,” Pulling out the box of rice krispies and a bottle of milk, Virgil holds the pack to his head, helping Patton to pour his breakfast before they both sit at the counter.

“Dad, are you and Mr Phillips dating?” Virgil looks up from his hands to see Patton staring at his bowl, not eating anything. “It’s just, you hang out a lot, like me and Logan, but he looks at you funny and you smile more around him.” 

“Well, no. We aren’t.” He recalls their conversation last night, how Roman was concerned about Patton’s feelings just as much as Virgil’s own. 

“I think you should. He makes you happy and I like when you’re happy.” Patton doesn’t smile at all, but his tone suggests happiness. It sits weird in Virgil’s heart, but, not knowing how to broach the subject, he drops it, simply asking Patton about his latest dreams and waiting for Roman to wake up. 

 

When he does eventually wake, he finds Virgil drinking coffee at the counter while Patton plays in the backyard. The father’s eyes are trained on his son, forehead creased with worry and thought. 

Roman creeps up, placing a hand in Virgil’s line of sight before draping his arms around his shoulder, resting his chin on Virgil’s head.

“What’s got you so wound up, Knight?” He asks, hands splayed out on Virgil’s chest, holding him tight to his own. 

“Pat.” He answers simply, taking a sip of coffee with his eyes still locked on the child. “He found us on the couch this morning and asked if we were together. He said he liked the idea but something sounded off. He didn’t smile or laugh when he said it, it was like he had no emotions. I’m worried about him.” 

“What me to talk to him? Teacher-student confidentiality doesn’t just mean in the classroom.” 

“You’re welcome to try.” Roman presses his lips to Virgil’s temple, gaining a soft chuckle in response before being shooed to the door. He takes a hesitant step out, pulling the sliding door shut behind him. 

“What’s up, Patton? You look troubled.” Roman asks as he approaches the boy at the end of the porch.  

“Nothing.” The boy swings his legs in the open air, a large stick drawing lines in the dirt, looking as innocent as ever when Roman takes the seat next to him. “It feels weird.’ 

“Does my being around make you feel bad?” 

“No! It’s not a bad feeling, it's just… I’m not sure what it is. I want you to be here, but…”

“But you still want your dad’s attention. You don’t want me to steal him away from you.” Patton looks up with guilty eyes, a sad frown pulling at his lips. “It’s okay. I understand, Patton. It’s totally normal to dislike a major change and I would feel the same way. I’m not trying to take him away from you at all, I just want to make him- and you- happy.”

“Does Papa still love me?” 

“Of course he does, Patton!” Roman does all he can to not screech the words at the poor boy. “He loves you with all his heart. That’s why he hasn’t said yes. He wouldn’t agree to me sticking around unless you were 100% okay with it, and he wanted to know for sure that you were.” The man shifts to face the boy with his whole body, taking his small hands in his tan ones. 

“Patton, I promise you, your Dad will always love you, and he will always be there for you. No matter what happens, you are his main priority. My asking to be around isn’t to stop that, I want to be part of your family. You love him and he loves you, and nothing could ever come between that. I want to share that with you, but if that makes you feel uncomfortable at all, I won’t, I’ll just be your Dad’s friend.”

“I think you can stay. You’re pretty cool I guess. And you give me cookies when Papa says no more.” A sneaky smirk rises up Patton’s face as he catches a glimpse of his dad leaning against the door frame, having snuck up when Roman had almost screamed earlier. 

“I’m sorry, he does what?” 

“Oh, you little- Nothing, my darling! How does ice cream sound, my treat!” Roman jumps up, picking Virgil up by the waist and spinning him around. He kisses both the pale man’s cheeks before taking his hand and dragging him towards the front door, taking Patton’s on the way. 

Patton laughed along, bounding towards Roman’s car as the adults walked over, hand-in-hand. 

“I guess you can stay. You’re not too bad, Princey.”

“I wore the crown one time!” Roman shouts indignantly, opening the door for his cackling boyfriend before climbing in himself and setting off for the ice-cream parlour. 

No one noticed the letter in the Casey letterbox, nor the nine-year-old boy stumbling out of his house with blood on his cheeks and bruises on his heart.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> LOGAN'S BACK!!! A very Logan centric chapter with a little angst and some Ro-Lo bonding because our boy needs support.
> 
> (thanks to Mo and my Discord buddies for editing xx)
> 
> WARNINGS: Abuse mention, Blood mentions, Panic attack/Sensory Overload, I wrote it how I remember feeling it (i normally don't remember it) so it's not necessarily accurate to all but be careful anyways

Logan was a smart child. 

He could recite pi to the 50th decimal, solve a Rubix cube in under a minute, and knew his 12 times tables. 

He also knew his family wasn’t normal. 

It wasn’t normal when his step-father locked him in the basement when he forgot to do the dishes or when his mother slapped him for speaking too loud. It wasn’t normal that his bed was a pile of old rags on a torn foam mattress or that he had to wear second-hand high neck sweaters to school even in the summer. 

But he didn’t know how to change it.

He was scared to ask for help because he didn’t know what to say. He was scared he’d be taken away. He was scared they wouldn’t listen. 

So he hid it all. He wore long shirts and claimed to be clumsy and only spoke when spoken too. He kept his interests to himself, learnt to sneak food after dark, made friends with the boy around the corner so he had somewhere to get away too. 

Of course, there was always the Casey’s when he needed a hug or to get away for a few hours. 

So after his father had stopped attacking him for burning their breakfast, he snuck out the door and headed down the road, wiping his tears with his sleeves and smearing the blood further across his dark skin.

As he walked down the street, he pulled his hood up to hide his face from the neighbours working in their gardens and stuffed his hands in his pockets. He probably looked more suspicious that way but at least they wouldn’t judge him too harshly. 

When he reached the Casey household, Logan knocked lightly, waiting a few minutes before knocking again. But no one came. 

So he sat on the doorstep, arms folded around his middle and tears quietly falling into the new cuts on his face. 

He sat there for hours, slowly moving closer to the door as the sun made its way across the sky and left him in the cold, huddled against the wall and bored out of his mind. It was nicer there, alone, then it was at home so he wasn’t complaining. 

It was 5 pm when a car pulled into the Casey’s driveway, Patton jumping out of the back before the car had even stopped and running to the ball of child he called his best friend. 

“Logan!” The boy yells, falling to his knees in front of his friend, carefully unfolding his arms from around his knees and pulling him into a gentle hug. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t call. I just had to leave.” Logan whispers, burying his head into Patton’s shoulder and wincing as he brushes against his collar just a touch too hard. Patton looks up as Virgil and Roman climb out of the car, both with worried looks on their faces. 

“Logan, you are always welcome here, no matter the time. I’ll put a spare key under the flower pot for you in case we aren’t here again.” The father walks over, kneeling by the pair of boys as Logan looks up. The blood had dried to his face long ago, eyes red from the tears that now stained Patton’s shirt as well as his own. 

“Let’s get you inside to clean you up okay?” Virgil unlocks the door as the boys stand, Patton helping Logan inside to leave the adults to talk. 

“Do you want me to go home, Virge?” Roman takes his hand, squeezing it lightly as he watches the man continuing to stare after his son. 

“I think I’d like if you stayed, I just don’t know how Logan will feel. He doesn’t know you and he’s hesitant enough to talk about it with me, let alone a stranger.” He turns to face Roman, both concerned and mildly afraid. Without a word, Roman pulls him into a hug, holding him tight before Patton returns to the door.

“Dad, Logan said there’s some mail in the letterbox. Is Mr Phillips staying?” Virgil pulls away enough to face his son. 

“Is Logan okay with him staying?” Patton just nods, a small smile on his lips. “Then, it’s just up to you.” 

“Let’s go help your friend clean up while your dad gets the mail.” Roman lets go of his boyfriend and takes Patton’s hand, entering the house while Virgil treks across the yard. He waves at the couple next door, the youngest happily drinking coffee while their boyfriend tends to the garden, and takes the collection of envelopes. 

Shuffling through as he walks inside, it's all the usual stuff. BIlls, promotions, a pamphlet for the pizza place in town. The last letter, however, makes him freeze at the door to the kitchen. 

It’s a plain white envelope, with his name printed on the front and an ‘Urgent’ sticker across the top. He tears it open, finding a single sheet of paper and a piece of cardboard to keep it straight. It’s his court date, the first hearing for the custody battle over Patton. 

It’s scheduled for a Sunday. 

Could he get Roman to take Patton for the day? Tobias might be free to babysit, it is a weekend and one of his normal workdays. Would Remy be able to come along? Should he take Roman instead? Is he even allowed to take someone?

“Mr Patton’s Dad?” He looks up to see Logan at the counter, face cleaned up and a Hello Kitty bandaid on his cheekbone, looking at him curiously through broken glasses. “Are you okay? Is something wrong?” 

“Yeah, Logan, I’m fine, it’s all good. How are you feeling?” He carefully slides the letter back inside, placing it and the bills in the folder on the bench, turning to the boy who looks at his hands with conviction. 

“I am okay. Mr Phillips cleaned me up and made sure I was alright. He is very good at first aid. He and Patton have gone to find blankets to build a fort in the living room. They said you would not mind, do you?” He looks up, green eyes filled with a worry Virgil can’t understand. 

“I think that sounds wonderful. Are you sure you’re alright with Roman hanging around? I know new people can be scary and he is a teacher so I would understand if you were uncomfortable.” Logan had once said that the teachers at his school were rude when he couldn’t take part in activities, and that none of them seemed to care that he either came to school in pain or just not at all. 

“Thank you Mr Patton’s Dad, I’m okay. Patton said he is like a large teddy bear.” Logan laughs lightly as Virgil cackles, both happy to see the other smiling.

“You could definitely describe him like that.” Roman enters the kitchen with his arms stuffed full of various blankets and sheets, Patton trailing with even more, one thrown over his head so he can only vaguely see through the thin fabric. 

“Come on, Papa! Mr Phillips said he knows how to build a better fort than us.” Patton laughs, turning to run from the room and hitting the wall, stumbling back into his Dad’s arms before being directed into the living room. 

“Logan, are you coming?” Roman looks at the young boy still sitting at the counter. He nods slowly, climbing down and following him to the lounge where Virgil and Patton have claimed half the furniture and started draping sheets over it. 

“I guess you’re on my team then, Little Einstein,” Roman smiles, starting on the fort and directing Logan to help him. Within only a few minutes, Patton falls through his and his dad’s fort, leading the two pairs to combine their efforts and collapsing in the middle with smiles all around.

As Virgil and Roman left to prepare dinner and Patton got distracted by a cat in the backyard, Logan couldn’t help but get lost in his thoughts. 

This was a home where the father treated his son with love and respect, where outsiders were welcomed in with open arms, where everyone felt wanted. Yes, there is only one parent, but it’s a family no matter who is or isn’t there. It was warm and comfortable and safe. Nothing like his home. 

Tears start to brim in his eyes as he thinks of having to go back. Sure, he could stay here the night, maybe two, but eventually he will have to return. He will have to face his mother and step-father, the physical beatings and verbal abuse. He can't stay in this eutopia forever no matter how much he wants too. 

Or...

He could speak up. 

Roman is a teacher, not his teacher, but still a teacher. Technically, if he hears about, or even really suspects the abuse, he has to ask. If Logan told him, he could tell the police or child services. He could get him out of that nightmare house.

But...

Logan's step-dad is a police officer- the captain, to be specific. No one would listen to the 'delinquent' son of his 'mentally ill' wife. That's what they were. He was punished for acting out, she didn't know any better. Or at least that's what he'd say. 

Sometimes his mum hugged him after yelling, saying she was sorry and that she loved him, that it was for his own good. Sometimes she kissed his forehead or gave him an extra slice of toast. She loves him. Or at least that what she claims. 

Logan hiccups a sob, hand slapping over his mouth to keep himself quiet and silently praying no one heard. 

"Logan?" Roman's voice calls from behind the curtain of sheets next to the couch, the only path to the outside world from his cave. The boy doesn't reply, stifling his sobs and frantically wiping at his tears. 

"Can I come in?" Waiting for the quiet affirmative, Roman slowly crawls in, looking up at the worried father in the doorway. He disappears into the tower of sheets, finding Logan curled up against the couch, eyes filled with terrified tears. 

"Hey buddy, wanna talk?" Logan frantically shakes his head, hands tugging at the hems of his jeans, fingers rubbing over the fabric roughly. "That's okay, would you like a hug?" Another shake. "That's alright too. Is it alright if I just sit here?" The crying boy nods slowly, watching the man adjust his legs to sit comfortably. His tear-filled eyes track Roman’s every move, undeterred by the lack of air entering his lungs, more focused on the threat of pain. 

His mother hated him crying, she hated hearing him sob or even hiss in mild discomfort. She often lamented about how ‘men shouldn’t cry, it’s a sign of weakness’. He had learnt to stay quiet and unseen, but this was inescapable. The emotions welling up so much they had to burst free no matter the cost. 

They sit there for a while, Logan sobbing quietly into his knees as Roman waits patiently, quietly telling him some meaningless tale of his day. Logan slowly calms down, breaths coming easier as he focuses more on Roman's words than his hands, eyes locked on the teacher's face as his own hands stop frantically tugging at his clothing. 

"How are you feeling now, Logan?" Roman carefully lays his hand face up between the two, watching the green eyes snap down to the offending movement. Logan looks up to Roman’s face, seeing the soft, welcoming smile before looking back down to his hand. Slowly and carefully, like a cautious wild animal, Logan reaches out, fingers brushing over Roman's skin before grasping his hand tightly. 

"It's okay if you don't want to talk, you don't have to do anything you don't feel comfortable with. Virgil said you're very cautious around new people so I understand if you'd prefer to talk to him, or even Patton instead. But I want you to know that if you need an impartial ear, I am here to help. If you want someone to just listen, or give you advice, or anything at all, you can come to me as well," Roman laments, watching Logan's hand trail up his arm, fingers dancing over the now-faded scars that litter the tanned skin, before he looks up, tugging on Roman's sleeve. No words are exchanged, they don’t need to be, as Logan crawls closer to Roman, curling up in his arms. 

Roman holds the young boy close, running a soothing hand over his back as he clings to him. Neither speak, both relishing in the silence and the warmth of the other. 

Logan still feels scared, he can't help it. Roman is a man, much bigger than he is, holding him. He could easily hurt him, hold him too tight and suffocate him, crush him slowly, break a bone or four. But something about Roman feels honest. He feels safe and genuine and warm, though that could just be because he's holding him. 

Roman is scared too. Logan has been abused, it’s obvious to anyone that spends even a moment near him. He holds the boy tight, but still loose enough that he could push away at a moments notice. He would hate to hurt him, physically or otherwise, but he wants to show the boy how love can be, how you can feel safe in the arms of an adult. 

When they pull away, Logan is the first to move, sitting back on his knees and smiling at the teacher softly. Roman smiles back before holding out a hand, leading Logan into the kitchen where Virgil and Patton sit at the counter, dinner ready to be served. 

Virgil dishes it up as Roman pours them all cups of juice and mugs of coffee despite the hour,   Logan climbing up next to Patton and smiling at his friend as he holds his hand beneath the table. 

The house quickly fills with laughter and stories, adults and children alike sharing tall tales and smiles over a meal prepared with love. Ex-families, custody battles and unsavoury thoughts are all set aside if only for the night, giving way to only love and happiness.


End file.
